Timepiece regulating mechanism



June 19, v1962 Filed July 7, 1958 o. H. DlcKE 3,039,262

TIMEPIECE REGULATING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

June 19, 1962 o. H. DlcKE 3,039,262

TIMEPIECE REGULATING MECHANISM Filed July Y, 1958 2 sheets-sheet 2 INV ENTOR.

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United States Patent O TIMEPIECE REGULATING MECHANISM Oscar H. Dicke, 211 S. Washingtonv St., New Bremen, Ohio Filed July 7, 1958, Ser. No. 746,927

4 Claims. (Cl. 58'-85.5) f

This invention relates to semi-automatic rate regulating means for timepieces, such as clocks and watches, and is similar to my prior application, Ser. No. 673,293 `iiled Iuly 22, 1957, now Patent No. 2,927,421, dated March 8, 1960. t

Well known clocks and watches have hour and minute -hands that can beset through the medium of a slip clutch and have a second hand that cannot be set. In the prior application, above identied, it has been disclosed how rate regulation may be accomplished by setting the clock or Watch minute hand in a special manner and simultaneouslytherewith adjust rate regulating means proportional thereto,A to accomplish improve-d rate regulation. It has also been pointed out in said prior application how the dial may be set to cause the minute hand to indicateV correct time and by such dial` setting the rate regulation means may be simultaneously setto a better time keeping position. It has also been disclosed in saidprior application how the dial back of a second hand may be set to indicate a particular second-time and to simultaneously therewith adjust proportionally thereto the rate regulating means, operatively connected to such dial, 4and thereby bring about a better time keeping adjustment. At'page 10, line 17-23 of said prior application Ser. No. 673,293 it is stated: When a rate regulating procedure is started itmay be found that the vsecond hand on a synchronous motor electric clock reads ten seconds when the watch reads zero seconds. In this case, at each setting time, one will wait until the electric clock, used as a standard, indicates ten seconds, at which timethe dial 38 will be set to indicate zero seconds. In other words, the prior application taught that a single point (zero reading) on the dial under the second-hand is sufficient to accomplish rate regulation, when such single point dial is operatively connected to the rate regulation means of the watch, so that anindicating hand may be used, if desired, in place of such single point dial. This feature of a rate regulating indicating hand, is knot claimed specifically in said prior application. In the present application such a rate regulating indicating hand has vactually been illustrated in FIGS. l and 3. It shouldbe understood that such rate regulating indicating hand may ybeused in connection with the minute hand reading of -thewrist watch. IIn FIG. l, synchronization between hands 15 and 100 may beV read directly, whereas in FIG. 3, the gaining or losing Vof a` particular number -of minutesby the minute hand 15 in a specified time period.y may beaccompanied by the advancing or retarding of the hand 1tl0AV on the dial 42A.

More specifically, structurally, it is proposed, in accordancefwith this application as shown in two specific forms ofthe invention illustrated, to provide a 'dial rotatable concentrically wit-h respectto both the minute hand and thesecond hand (FIGS. 4 and 5) and operatively connect this .dial to the rate regu-lationrneans of the timepiece (watch or clock)y in a mannersuch that when the dial is rotated forwardly, With'respect tothe direction of rotation of either theminute hand or the second hand, the rate of operationof the timepiece is reduced, andl vice versa, it being understood `that when the dial is rotated forwardly a lower value of minutes orfseconds'is indicated by the particular time indicating handl Vvunder consideration. This feature is also shown in the prior application Ser. No. 673,293. f f

In other specific forms of the invention, as shown in 3,039,262 Patented June 19, 1962 FIGS. l and 3 of the drawings, it is proposed to employ a second hand rotated over a xed dial of the timepiece and to provide a distinctive indicating hand rotatable manually and concentrically with respect to such second hand, and operatively connected to the rate regulating means of the timepiece in a manner such that if this indicating distinctive hand is manually set forward with respect to the direction of rotation ofthe second hand the speed of operation of the timepiece is reduced.

Other objects, purposes and characteristic features of the invention will in part be pointed out hereinafter and will in part become obvious when this specilication is studied in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows the face of a wrist watch, embodying one specific form of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional elevation of the wrist watch shown in F-IG. l with some of the gears and portions of other gears shown in full elevation;

FIG. 3 `shows a modified form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with the second hand constituting a nonsweep second hand having a rate regulating indicating hand concentrically mounted with respect thereto and both readable on a fixed second hand dial;

FIG. 4 shows a wrist watch, embodying the invention, and employing a sweep second hand and employing, in addition to the regular dial, a ring dial manually operable and operatively connected to the rate regulating means of the watch on both dials of which the minute hand and the second hand may be read;

FIG. 5 shows a wrist watch, embodying the invention, having a iixed ring dial and a manually operable rotatable inner dial operatively connected to the rate regulating means of the watch onboth of which dials both the minute hand and the second hand of the watch may be read;

FIG. 6 shows -a wrist watch embodying the invention and showing a non-sweep second hand having a manually operable dial located concentrically with respect thereto andon which dial the second hand may be read, the dial being operatively connected to the rate regulating means of the watch; and l FIG. 7 shows the construction of gear 9 of FIG. 2.

Structure FIGS. 1 and 2.-In FIGS. ,l and 2 has been illustrated a wrist watch similar to that shown in FIG. 3 of the application -above identiied, and similar to that shown in FIG. 4, ofthe presentapplioation, except that for the ring dial constituting the outer part of the gear 38 shown in said prior application and the ring dial 38D shown in FIG. 4.0i this application, has been shown an indicating hand 100l for indicating the relative position of the rate regulating bevel gear 38 with respect to the dial 42, the minutefhand 1S or the second hand 44.

By referring to FIG. 2, it will be seen that a rspring barrel 76 having teethv 76A meshing with the idler gear 77 has been provided. This idler gear 77 will mesh with pinion 41 on the wind-and-,set stem 40 when this stem is withdrawn to its normal'winding position, shown by` having integral therewith gear 88. Gear 88 drives pinion, 89 having integral therewith on its shaft an escapernent` wheel 90 which oscillates escape'rnent pallet `45 engaging a pin on balance wheel 11, biased to the intermediate position by the hairspring 10. As the balance wheel 11 oscillates, the escapement wheel is allowed to rotate. The bevel gear 38 has integral therewith a pinion 7 which meshes with rate adjusting gear 9 which is provided wifth a pronged pin 9A looping around the outer tum of the hairspring 1t); so that by rotation of the gear 9 the eifective length of the hairspring 10 may be altered and the rate of operation of the watch may be changed. It will be seen that the bushing 91, in which the bevel gear 38 driving the indicator 100 is pivotally mounted, is provided `with an extension 8D in the path of the stop pin secured in bevel gear 38. This stop pin prevents rotation of gear 38 beyond limits where it could damage the hairspring supporting structure. It will also be seen that the gear l9, which determines the effective length of the hairspring, is coaxially supported with balance wheel 11, as is true in any escapement clock or watch. At an intermediate point in the gear train` just described, namely, on the shaft, pivoted in part in the frame 80 and supporting pinio-n 85 and gear =86, is a gear 92 which drives pinion 93 on the second-hand shaft 93A pivoted in the minute sleeve 2, and plate 80. This sleeve 2 supports and drives the minute hand 15. The hour hand 16 on the other hand rotates one-twelfth as fast as do the minute shaft 2 and minute hand 15, and is driven by minute sleeve 2 through the medium of pinions 118 and 17 and gears 19' and 20, the elements 17 and 19 being pivotally supported on a fixedA support, as shown.

It will beseen that rate regulating knob 39B is connected to bevel pinion 39 by shat 39A. This shaft is not shiftable endwise in that there is a bearing block on each side of bevel pinion 39. The wind-and-set stem 40 is, on the other hand, shiftable endwise as shown by dotted lines. It is shown in the setting position where gear 41 is in mesh with the teeth 94 projecting from the side of gear 95. This gear 95 meshes continuously with the gear 96 operatively connected to the minute shaft or sleeve 2. Normally the wind-andset knob 413B assumes the retracted position in which it may be held by a spring (not shown), this in order that the knob 40B need not be rotated by the watch mechanism. It will be observed that the various pinions and gears are supported in bearing blocks not specifically identified. This has been resorted to for convenience since, that in practice, they would be pivoted in holes in the watch plates. Also, in practicing the invention the wind-andset stern would normally assume the depressed position and would be retracted for setting purposes, but since this structure would be more diiiicult to show the conventional scheme illustrated has been resorted to. The entire watch mechanism is prefer-ably housed in a waterproof casing 98 covered with a glass or crystal 99, and supported on the wrist by a wrist band 101. It should be understood that since the minute shaft or sleeve 2 is frictionally driven by the friction clutch 13, the minute hand 15 and hour hand 16 may be set by the turning of set knob 40B when in its depressed position, with the pinion 41 in mesh with the teeth 94 of gear 95. This gear` 95 during manualsetting drives the minuteV wheel 96 and minute sleeve 2 and minute hand 15 operatively Vconnected thereto, as permitted by slip clutch 13.

VOperation of FIGS. l and 2.--Let us assume that the wrist watch of FIGS. l andV 2 is known to gain about one minute inl ten hours, equivalent to one second in minutes. Let us also assume that the gear ratio of pinion 7 to gear 9 is such that substantially a full correction in time keeping would result if setting of indieating hand 100 into synchronism with the second hand 44 for vthe second time took place after |an interval of onehour and ten `minutes, to the vexact second, It this were the case an under correction would be made if such `Svrwhwucus alignment vci? the indicating hands 44 and 10Q took place intervals of about one hour.r IIt is desired that an under correction in ratte adjustment .be

.made repeatedly, so that correct rate adjustment will be approached asymptotically.

Let us now assume that the watch of FIGS. l and 2 is to be rate regulated by the wearer, and that he has decided to use second hand comparison, He will have been instructed, through the medium of an instruction sheet, how to perform a rate regulation procedure. He will star-t `a rate correction at say3z08, the time indicated in FIG. 1 of the drawings. He will observe that at the instant the second hand 44 moves over the indicator 100 the second hand of `a synchronous moto-r electric clock, used as a stand-ard, indicates exactly ten seconds. He will now use the wrist watch in a normal way, such as mowing lawn, for instance. After about an hour, say at four oclock, he will Observe that the second hand 44 is about nine and one-half seconds ahead of the indicating hand 100 when the second hand of the electric clock indicates ten seconds. He has probably anticipated the event and has already advanced the indicator -almost to the right point when the electric clock assumes the ten second indication. On the -neXt round of the second hand of the electric clock when it reaches the ten second indication, he may again check and synchronize his second hand 44 and his indicator 100 more accurately. He will now return to his lawn mowing, or some other chore, involving normal usage of the wrist watch. He will ob serve that at the end of the next hour, or say fifty minutes, that the second hand 44 of his watch is only about one and one-half seconds `ahead Aof the indicating hand 100 when the second `hand of the electric clock, used as a standard, indicates ten seconds. He will now proceed to synchronize his indicating hands 100 and 44 at theinstant the electric clock indicates ten seconds, His wrist watch should now be almost perfectly rate regulated, but if he wishes he may repeat the foregoing procedure again at around iive oclock. In other words, if each synchronizing of his hands 44 'and 100 after about an hours interval makes a six-seventh correction of the error in rate regulation an adjustment correction of Aforty-eight fortyfninths of the original error will have been made after two such synchronizing adjustments, which for most purposes should be good enough. If three such synchronizing corrections are made in succession, the error should be only one divided by `seven cubed or about one-third ofY counter-clockwise direction as viewed from the front of the wrist watch. This will cause the loop 9A fon gear 9 to move nearer to the support end of the hairspring 10 to cause, the watch to run slower tothe extent pointed out above. Rotation of the indicator v100 is, of course, brought about by inserting the blade of a pocket knife or the edge of a. dime in theslot of the head 39B on the stem 39A and rotate the bevel pinion 39* to, in turn, causerotfaf tion of the bevel gear 38, the vgear 9' and the indicator 100. The head and stern 39Brand 39A do not necessarily Pass through the wind-and-set stem 40, but may be at a dilerent location as shown inl FIGS. 3, 4, and 6.

VIt has been pointed out above that an over correction Y is to be lavoided and that it is desired to reach the approximate correct rate regulation adjustment inseveral steps. This 1s done so that over correction is avoided even when :the wearer of the wrist watch varies considerably the length of intervals between successive Vsynclurorn'z-ations of the indicators 100 land .44. For instance, the iii-st interval was fifty-eight minutes and the'second interval was only iifty minutes. He might evenhave made `the intervals sixty-eight minutesV and still fell .short Yof an'cverV correction. Instead of making the synchronous adjustments at ten second indications on the synchronous motor electric clock, this clock could have been unplugged when the second hand thereof indicated zero seconds and again plugged in at the instant the second hand 44 of Ithe wrist watch was over the rate indicator 100, the synchronizing adjustments thereafter being made at'zero second indications on the electric clock, used as a standard.

There are certain advantages in performing rate regulation through the medium of non-settable second hands on wrist watches. For instance, it will not interfere with the ordinary reading of time, because time' is usually read on the minute and hour hand and the second hand is seldom read. Also, sincethe' second hand moves sixty times as fast as does the minute hand, only a short waiting period is necessary after it has once been decided to make a new rate adjustment. Furthermore, the entire rate regulation procedureA can be completed in a few hours or even less. On the other hand, there is also an advantage in using the minute `hand of FIGS. l, 4 and 5, The minute may, forinstance, be read in combination with the indicator 100 of FIG. l and with the ring dial 38D of FIG. 4 and the center dial 38E of FIG. 5 to accomplish rate regulation.

Let us now consider the operation 'of the FIGS. 1 and 2 disclosure when it is usedl for rate regulation adjustment in combination with the minutehand instead of the second hand 44. In this case, the minute hand 15 is set in synchro-msm to the rate regulating indicator 100 4and at the same time the minu-te hand of a synchronous motor electricclock has its minute hand set to indicate, say, the sixty minute position. After the expiration of the` rst interval, which in this case will be lsixty hours or two and one-half days (assuming the same gear ratio of pinion 7 and gear 9 is used), the rate regulating pointer 100 will be brought into synchronous relationship with the minute hand 15 at the instant the minute hand of the electric clock indicates 60. The second hand indicating position of the electric clock may also be taken into consideration to determine this 60 minute position more accur-ately. This same procedure may be repeated again at the end of the next 55th to 65th hour after which the wrist watch will be adjusted to substantially perfect time keeping, In view of the similarity of this minute hand procedure and the second handv procedure lalready described no further discussion is believed necessary. It should be understood that, infact, both schemes of rate regulation may be taken at the same time or `atleast in overlapped relation so that one method may be a check against the other.

In order to avoid play between the teeth of pinion 7 and gear 9, the gear 9 may, in fact, be a double gear (as shown in FIG'. 7) each of which gears has one or more accurate openings 104 (two being shown) each of which contains a compression coil' springY t105.` These openings are slightly diie'rently located relative to the teeth of the gears so that the springs 105 as they try to force these openings 104 into alignment place the teeth slightly out of alignment, so that a little force is necessary to put the teeth into subst-antialalignment. This results in gear meshing without pl-ay between the teeth. This is desirable so that the indicator y100 at all times definitely shows the actual position of the rate regulating position of the lb'ifurcated pin 9A supported by one of the gears 9. When this double gear 9"is used only one of the two gears 9 is secured to the sleeve carrying indicator 100. On the other hand, if desired, the gear 9 may be a single gear constructed of rubber with the teeth wide enough so that there is no play at any time since such rubber teeth of gear 9 would be -forced between the metal teeth of pinion 7.

FIG. 3 Structure-The structure of the FIG. 3 disclosure is substantially the same las that of FIGS. 1 and 2 except that a small non-sweep, non-:concentric (with respect to the minute hand) second hand 44A is used,

below which there is la concentrically pivoted rate regulating indicator A. Some slight modification of the gears for ldriving this second hand 44A and gears driving the rate regulating structure and indicator 100A is necessary to accommodate this different location of these indicators v44A and 100A, but since these changes involve mere mechanical skill, and since non-sweep second hands are very old in the art these modifications will not be illustrated. Also the rate regulating knob' 39D does not have its stem pass through the wind-and-set stem, as shown in FIGS. l and 2, but instead passes directly through the case 98 of the wrist watch at the side opposite to the wind-and-set stem Iand knob 40B. This knob 39D drives the bevel pinion 39 which meshes with the bevel gear 3S, which in this instance is non-concentric with the minute shaft 2, andrequires a slight modification of the clock mechanism from that specifically illustrated in FIG. 2. The dial 42A has been shown upside down lbecause this would be more'desirable since the rate regulating 'knob 39D will then be to the iight of this dial with the numeral 12 at the top'.

Operation of FIG. 3.--The operation of the FIG. 3 structure insofar as second hand comparison rate regulation is concerned is the same yas that of FIGS. l and 2 and will, therefore, not be repeated. The only way that minute hand rate regulating may be accomplished in the FIG. 3 structure is, that if the minute hand has gained a particular number of minutes in a prescribedchecking period that will not cause an over-correction, such as twenty-four hours, `as indicated by the minute hand 15, then the rate regulating hand 100A is advanced the same number of seconds on dial 42A, or vice versa. This may be repeated several times, as above explained, to bring about rate regulation.

Structure of FIG. 4.-The FIG. 4 structure is substantially'tihe same as that of' FIG. 3 of the yprior application Ser. No. 67 3,293, and is substantially the same as FIGS. l and 2 of the instant application except that the rate regulating indicating hand 100 of FIGS. l and 2 has been replaced by a ring dial 38D constituting part of the bevel gear 38 of FIG. 2. It will be seen that the stationary inner dial is supported by three extensions or webs 42A secured to the watch case 98. This latter feature is not shown in the prior application.

Operation of FIG. 4.-This IFIG; 4 structure may be used in two ways, namely, (l) by usinig seconds indicac'ations comparisons and (2) by using minutes indications comparisons. (1') To start a rate regulating procedure,

using second hand comparisons, the synchronous motor electric clock (used as a standard) is unplugged and is again plugged in on the sixty cycle light and powerservice at the instant the second hand time indicated by the electric clock indicates the same second hand time on its dial as the second hand 44 of FIG. 4 indicates on the ring Vdial 38D. After a period of about one hour the ring dial 38D is rotated through the medium of vrate regulating knob 39D until the second hand 44 indicates on ring `dial SSD the same second hand time as is indicated by the second hand on the standard synchronous motor electric clock. This procedure is repeated after a period of fifty-five to sixty-tive minutes has elapsed after which the wrist watch of FIG. 4 should, and will be,l regulated to perfo-rm substantially perfect time keeping. (2) When using the minute hand 15 of FIG. 4 instead of the second hand 44, the'rate regulating procedure is started by setting eitherthe electric clock, used as a standard, or the wrist watch of FIG. 4 so that the minute hand 15 indicates the same minute time on ring dial SSD las the minute hand of the synchronous motor electric clock, used as a standard, indicates on its dial. After the lapse of about two and one-half days, say 55 hours to 65 hours, the ring dial 38D is set so that it, in combination with the minute hand 15, indicates the same minute time on dial 38D as is indicated by the minute hand of the same 7 electric clock standard. If this is repeated after an interval of 5 hours to 65 hours the wrist watch will keep substantially per-lect time, for reasons heretofore pointed out.

FIG. 5 Structure-The FIG. 5 structure is exactly the same as the FIG. 4 structure except that an inner dial 38E lconnected to bevel gear 38 is used in place of the ring dial 38D and that a rate regulating knob 39B passing th-rough the wind-and-set stern, as shown in FIG. 1, is used in place of the rate regulating knob 39D passing through the casing 98 lat the opposite side, as is used in FIG. 4. There is a substantial advantage in having the rate regulating dial near the center, in that it is easier to Support it by the Abevel `gear 38 and it is also easier to support the tixed dial to the casing 93 as compared to a rotatable ring dial.

Operation of FIG. 5 .-The two kinds of operation (l) second hand comparison and (2) minute hand comparison described in connection with the FIG. 4 are also applicable to the FIG. 5 structure and since these operations are identical it is believed unnecessary to repeat them :for the FIG. 5 structure.

Structure of FIG. 6.-The FIG. 6 structure employs a rotatable dial 381:` coupled to the rate regulating means similar to that of the dial structures 33D and 38E. shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, except that the dial SEF serves only as a second hand dial since it is non-concentric with the axis of the minute and hour hands and I6, so that the minute hand cannot ybe read thereon. It should be noted that the rate regulating dial BSI2 is manually operable by the knob 38D similar to like designated knobs in FIGS. 3 and 4 as distinguished from the knob 39B the stem of which passes through the Wind-and-set stem as shown in FIGS. l and 5. The only difference between the constructions of FIGS. 3 and 6 is that for the single point indicator 100A shown in FIG. 3, a multi-point indicator or dial SSP has been substituted in FIG. 6. It will be seen that the second hand 44B may also be read on the iixed second indicating dial portion of dial 42.

Operation of FIG. 6.-"Ihe structure ot FIG. 6 does not Vlend itself to minute hand comparison rate regulationV as do the structures of FIGS. l, 4 and 5 but lends itself only to second hand comparison rate regulation. rihe second hand comparison rate regulation operation is, however, diierent from that practiced in the PIG. 3 construction in that a multi-point dial SSP is used instead of arsingle point indicator 106A shown in FIG. 3. The operation ot the FIG. 6 structure is, however, the same as the second hand comparison rate regulation described in connection with FIGS. 4 and 5 and, for this reason, need not be repeated here.

Resume- The foregoing disclosure is complete in that all the essential mechanisms of the wrist watch have 'been disclosed, even'though portions of the mechanisms have been illustrated in a manner to facilitate understanding the mechanism rather than showing the exact structure preferably used in practicing the invention. For instance, instead of showing the usual plates of a clock frame to provide pivots and bearings, separate bearing blocks have beeny illustrated, and in some instances bearing blocks have been omitted. Also, in the weil known construction of wrist watches the wind-and-set stem is Withdrawn for setting purposes whereas, -for convenience only, aiwindland-set construction has been illustrated v wherein the stem is depressed for setting purposes and isVV normally in the retracted position for Winding purposes. The rate regulating features shown and described will produce extremely accurate results in that no clutch or gear shift mechanism is employed to disturb the previous setting during gear or clutch shifting. It Should be understood that this invention may be applied to clocks of either the balance wheel or pendulum type.

Having thus disclosed iive different forms the invention may take, all of which have been broadly disclosed in the prior application Ser. No. 673,293, above identified, it should be understood that certain deviations from these specific disclosures may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention so long as these changes come clockwise direction .by said mechanism; a narrow elon- Y gated rate indicating pointer operatively connected to said rate regulating means in a manner such that it is adjusted in a clockwise direction the speed of operation of said time keeping mechanism will be reduced; a watch face including a dial on which said time indicating hand may be read and a scale on which said rate indicating pointer may be read; a casing for enclosing and protecting said mechanism, said time indicating hand, said rate indicating pointer and said face against the ingress of dust and water, and including a crystal through which said time indicating hand may be read on said dial and said rate indicating pointer may 4be read on said scale; and operating means operatively connected to said rate regulating means and passing through the wall of said casing and manually operable from the outside of said casing.

2. A timepiece comprising: a dial having a circular timescale thereon on which the time of day may be read; two rotatable hands, each consisting of a narrow elongated pointer, mounted for concentric rotation over said timescale; time keeping mechanism for driving one of said hands; rate regulating means operatively connected to said time keeping mechanism for, by its adjustment, determining the speed atwhich said time keeping mechanism shall operate and also operatively connected to the other of said hands; the operative connections between said one hand and the time keeping mechanism for riving said one hand, and between the other of said hands and the rate regulating means being'such that if at` the beginning of a time period started when the t'wo Y hands are in synchronism and deiined by one revolution of said one hand, but as determined `by a clock standard,

the other of said hands is manually brought into synchronism with said one hand at the end of such time period as determined lby such clock standard, the timeV keeping quality of the timepiece is improved.

3. A timepiece las claimed in claim 2, wherein said oneV hand is a minute hand.

4. A timepiece as claimed in claim 2, wherein said one Woerd Feb. 6, 1883 Dicke Mar. 8, 1960 

